1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to heating devices for use in the manufacture of golf clubs. More specifically, the present invention relates to a heating device for curing epoxy used to adhere a shaft to a golf club head.
2. Description of the Related Art
The attachment of a shaft to a golf club head requires securing the shaft to the golf club head in a manner that can withstand the tremendous forces exerted during swinging and impact with a golf ball. The attachment mechanism could encompass compressive forces, chemical adhesion and/or mechanical means. One preferred manner for attaching a shaft to a golf club head is using an epoxy to secure the shaft within a hosel. This attachment procedure is usually performed manually, with an operator overcoating a tip end of the shaft with epoxy, and then inserting the shaft into the hosel wherein excess epoxy (2 to 4 grams) is flushed onto the golf club head. In a golf club head with a through-bore, the tip end of the shaft extends through the bore in the sole of the golf club head and is cut during the assembly process. This attachment procedure typically requires heating the golf club in an oven for two hours to cure the epoxy and secure the shaft to the golf club head.
During the curing period, a series of golf clubs move on a rack through the oven. The entire oven is maintained at a set temperature that will cure the epoxy within a couple of hours. The ovens typically operate at a temperature ranging from 100° F. to 190° F. The size of the ovens may vary from several hundred square feet of floor space to thousands of square feet of floor space. The ovens have a mass typically ranging 4,000 to 6,000 pounds. Such ovens occupy large amounts of floor space in a factory and use excessive amounts of energy to heat the entire enclosed volume of the oven. Thus, there is a need for an improvement in the curing of epoxy when attaching a shaft to a golf club head.